NHTSA Complaint #10408905 — 1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR OVER 7 YEARS. TODAY, THE ONLY OCCASION OF THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED. DRIVING I-95 IN NORTH FLORIDA AT APPROX. 72 MPH, I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR TO BEGIN A LANE CHANGE AS I APPROACHED A SLOWER VEHICLE TO THE FRONT. THE ACCELERATOR, OF ITS OWN ACCORD, PRESSED ITSELF TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN, REACHING A SPEED OF 93 MPH WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. I APPLIED THE BRAKES, WHICH WERE TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE; THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN SPEED. I CAME WITHIN A FEW FEET OF REAR-ENDING THE CAR I HAD BEGUN TO GO AROUND, AND JUST BEFORE IMPACT I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, WHICH CUT OFF THE MOTOR. I MOVED FROM THE MIDDLE LANE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, AND WHILE COASTING, TURNED THE KEY BACK TO THE 'ON' POSITION, WITHOUT STARTING THE MOTOR. INSTANTLY THE MOTOR REVVED ON ITS OWN TO TACH REDLINE, AND I TURNED THE KEY TO THE 'ACC' POSITION; THE MOTOR SHUT OFF. THIS OCCURRED THREE TIMES, AND THE ENTIRE TIME THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PRESSED TO THE FLOOR. IT WAS NOT STUCK UNDER THE FLOOR MAT, AS I CHECKED THIS WHILE COASTING. THE PEDAL COULD NOT BE PRIED UP BY MY TOE, BUT WAS STUCK FAST. I HAD REDUCED SPEED TO ABOUT 30 MPH. AFTER 1/2 MI COASTING, THE PEDAL RETURNED TO THE NORMAL POSITION ON ITS OWN, AND I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR. IT DROVE NORMALLY THE ENTIRE WAY HOME, ABOUT 60 MILES. IF I HAD PANICKED AND NOT TURNED OFF THE ENGINE WITHIN THE FEW SECONDS I HAD, I WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY IMPACTED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH IN EXCESS OF 90MPH. THERE WAS TRAFFIC AROUND ME AT THAT POINT, AND IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MULTIPLE-CAR CRASH. THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR AND I CANNOT LET HER DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN. I FIND NO RECALLS, BUT THIS SITUATION MOST CERTAINLY WAS VERY REAL, AND VERY DANGEROUS. THIS IS NOT TO BE DISMISSED BY CALLING IT 'DRIVER ERROR', OR A PEDAL STUCK UNDER A MAT. I STAYED RATIONAL, AND CONTROLLED THE SITUATION. DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DIES, NHTSA. *TR